The Rotary and Nehru Sarais at the PGI are meant to provide accommodation to poor patients and their attendants coming from distant places, but the authorities are using these as dumpyards of obsolete items. Similarly, obsolete articles are lying at several departments, says an audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

“During the test check of records and physical verification, we noticed that many damaged and unserviceable articles were lying in various departments of the institute since long and unnecessarily occupied the space meant for the poor patients and other vital health purposes,” notes the report.

According to the report, three big halls (dormitories) in Rotary Sarai and three rooms in Nehru Sarai were being used for storage of obsolete items, which included about 250 hard beds, 90 iron chairs and 45 steel tables.

The report says that the gynae ward had several obsolete items. The emergency ward, CCU, Paediatrics Intensive Care Unit, and EEG Lab were also occupied by obsolete items which included infusion pumps, ventilators, air-conditioners, stretchers, pulse omnimeter and capnographs.

“Further, test check of store and stock records of RAC division (engineering wing) revealed that unserviceable/ dismantled articles worth more than Rs 8 lakh were lying idle in the store,” the report says.

An official of the RAC division says, “The items can be disposed of after the Condemnation Committee declares these items as condemned. The items shall be presented to the committee at the earliest for the needful and after disposal, the sale proceeds collected shall be deposited in the PGIMER account.”